Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
●
the quality of services provided to low-cost
carriers has a comparable standard to
other, more expensive, European airports;
●
low-cost carriers can take advantage of a
1 year 50% discount on landing fees when
opening a new route to or from Prague
(Kova
r
íková, 2003).
The availability of secondary airports such
as Brno is likely to attract further services in the
future, although the potential dangers of local
dependence upon one (foreign) airline need to
be monitored. Further, the structural role of
the relatively down-market nature of budget air-
line customers - in relation to the equilibrium of
the tourism economy and the destination image
of Czech cities - needs to be carefully consi-
dered and managed in the future.
and employment, has been increasingly
involved in the sector since the early 1990s. A
step forward was taken with the establishment
of the Czech Tourism Authority in 1993. The
enlargement of European Union has brought
new dimensions to inbound as well as to out-
bound travel in the Czech Republic. The 20%
increase in the EU population as a result of the
2004 enlargement has created new tourism
demand supported by harmonized legislation,
quality standards and norms, investments in
infrastructure, and enhanced methods of trans-
port and distribution.
It is expected that the growth of health
and environmental consciousness among
European Union citizens, together with the
demand for education, history, adventure,
eco- and agro-tourism, supported by low-cost
carrier routes operated from Prague and other
Czech centres, will further increase the demand
for the Czech Republic's tourism products,
with important economic, cultural and envi-
ronmental implications for the country's future
development.
Conclusions
The Czech Government, recognizing the
important role of tourism for economic growth
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